The Brookhaven Farmer’s Market has been approved for a secondstate-level program that could mean thousands of extra dollars forthe growers selling produce this summer in Railroad Park.

Lincoln County Extension Director Rebecca Bates said the marketwill soon begin participating in the Senior Farmer’s MarketNutrition Program (FMNP), a state-funded program that will allowlow-income senior citizens from Copiah County to use vouchers atthe Brookhaven market. The program, begun in 2002 by theMississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce and theMississippi Department of Human Services, is designed to allowseniors from across the state free access to healthy, homegrownproduce while simultaneously benefiting local farmers.

“This program will increase the foot traffic through the marketand increase the amount of sales the farmers will have,” Batessaid. “And of course it will benefit the seniors by allowing themto get fresh farm fruit and vegetables into their diet.”

Under the Senior FMNP, Bates said approximately 100 seniorcitizens would be issued a booklet of seven vouchers valued at $4each. The vouchers can only be used for fresh produce atMississippi farmer’s markets and can be easily redeemed by farmers,she said.

Unfortunately, Bates said, Brookhaven’s participation in theWomen, Infants and Children FMNP will prevent Senior FMNP vouchersfrom being issued in Lincoln County this year. The voucher programcould be expanded for Lincoln County senior citizens next year,officials said.

Senior FMNP vouchers are being issued in Copiah County, Batessaid, and those seniors will have only one farmer’s market to go to- Brookhaven’s.

“The agencies distributing the vouchers did not feel like theseniors in Copiah would feel comfortable driving to the HindsCounty or Jackson farmer’s markets, so those seniors who receivevouchers will be directed to the Brookhaven market,” she said. “TheBrookhaven market will be perfect for seniors in Wesson, Hazlehurstand Crystal Springs.”

Bates said the Senior FMNP would begin in July, coinciding withthe start of the WIC FMNP, a similar program for WIC participantsthat is also making its debut in Brookhaven this year.

With both voucher programs beginning at the Brookhaven Farmer’sMarket in July, the high number of shoppers already visiting themarket could be augmented by as many as 300 or more extra peopleand as much as $6,000 in vouchers.

Bates said the presence of both programs will further thesuccess of the Brookhaven Farmer’s Market, which has grown inpopularity and size since last year. Farmer’s market growers metand planned throughout the winter, she said, organizing thesummer-long event and recruiting more producers to the weeklysale.

“I think it’s gonna continue to grow every week,” Bates said. “Ithink we’ll continue to grow throughout the summer and fall.Hopefully, we can grow large enough to continue to stretch out overRailroad Park.”

Bates said some producers at the Brookhaven Farmer’s Market havebegun discussing the possibility of opening the market two days perweek next summer. Currently, the market opens on Fridays at 7:30a.m.